Ginny's Mask
by AradiaLoveless
Summary: Another Harry/Ginny after the Battle reunion. One-shot


Disclaimer: I don't own any charcater, places...etc. I'm just playing in J.K's sandbox.

* * *

It had been four weeks since the Battle of Hogwarts and Fred's funeral. Everyone was down and Ginny couldn't stand it. She had made her escape after another depressed and silent breakfast. Knowing she may snap at any moment, she had run for the broom shed where she proceeded to nick one of her brother's brooms. At first she had pushed the broom and herself to the limits. She dived, rolled, and sped trying to not think about anything. Ginny knew though that she couldn't stop herself from thinking for too long, so pulling up short she hovered above the orchard. Flattening herself against the broom she let the unwanted thoughts in.

_Fred_……

Ever since the battle had ended, she hadn't let anyone see her cry. She hadn't even cried at Fred's funeral. Everyone had said that she was such a strong child for enduring and handling her brother's death without breaking down. Yet, Ginny knew she wasn't strong, she just didn't want anyone to see her cry. She was far from being strong actually. Every night she silently wept for her brother and she felt her heart shattering every time.

Ginny knew that some people thought she was just hiding from the pain but no, Ginny felt the pain. All she was doing was hiding her pain from the others. She knew her family wouldn't mind if she went to them, to seek comfort in their arms, but she felt that she was a burden on their grief. So Ginny would help everyone else, she would comfort her family when their grief became too much for them, she'd cheer them up enough to move on and help they overcome a little more, and every night she wept for Fred all the while letting everyone else think she was handling his death.

Feeling her tears fall from her cheek to the grass thirty feet below, Ginny knows that no one will actually be able to fully overcome Fred's death. Eventually though, everyone will be able to laugh and talk about him without wanting to break down. She just wonders how long that will take.

"Hey," said a soft voice

Bolting up into a sitting position, Ginny looked over to see Harry hovering on a broom right next to her. She had no idea what to say to him, and he was the last person she wanted to cry in front of. Wiping her eyes to banish the tears, she replied.

"Hey."

"Trying to escape?"

Looking at him, Ginny wondered how he knew that she was trying to escape her reality, but as soon as the question formed in her mind the answer was already there. Flying was also his escape; it was what he did to get away from everything. Meeting Harry's eyes she nodded.

"Yeah, exactly."

Slipping into silence she laid back down along her broom. She had no clue why Harry was there; of course he could have just had the same idea as she did. Ginny and Harry hadn't talked since that time in the Room of Requirement. She had wanted to see him after the battle, to get her answers and to just be with him again but she knew that if they got back together, hiding her pain from him and the others would be too hard and she would crack. The thought of him holding her seemed like a good sacrifice to stop hiding. Yet, Ginny wasn't the same bright confident girl she once was. Ginny Weasley had lost her will to do anything other than hide behind a mask that made her look strong.

"Ginny," Harry started. "I know you're hurting even though you don't show it, because I hear you crying at night when you think everyone is asleep. I know you think you grief is a burden when others are also hurting, but I want you to know I'm there for you. I will always be there for you because I…I love you. I always will."

Closing her eyes against the tears, Ginny knew she had failed. She hadn't succeeded in hiding herself; Harry had heard her crying, he knew about her pain.

"I'll go now Ginny. I just wanted you to know."

Knowing that he was starting to drift away, she spoke.

"I love you too." She said this softly.

Ginny wasn't sure if he had heard her. Opening her eyes she saw Harry had stopped and was looking at her with loving expression. Leaning towards each other on instinct their lips met in a tender kiss. Ginny knew at that moment that her mask had vanished for she could feel her tears falling freely down her face. Pulling away she looked at Harry and smiled her first genuine smile.

"Thank you Harry."

"Your welcome Gin."

Ginny knew in the back of her mind that one day she would get her answers, but looking into Harry's eyes she didn't care when that day came.

While Ginny and Harry sat there gazing at each other, seven red-heads and one brown-haired girl watched them from the kitchen window.

"We'll be okay," said George.

No one in the Burrow felt compelled to answer him, for they could also feel that strange feeling of contentment. Yet, someone across the veil did feel fit to reply.

"Yeah, you will." said Fred

Looking back the Weasley's knew that that had been the day they had started healing. The day George cracked a joke and a smile after his twin passed. That had been the day they started to live again.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to my Wonderful Beta! She makes my stories sound a lot better than the mush that comes out of my brain.

Also, I'm not sure why I made Ginny all angsty but I felt it was a nice change to reverse her and Harry's roles. I kinda based Ginny on myself after my sister's death with the whole not crying and everyone saying I was so strong. So I hope you enjoyed what I did.

Please review!


End file.
